Untitled Sermon

Introduction

In Christ (vs. 3)The believer who does not know his wealth in Christ will never be able to walk for Christ. Our conduct depends on our calling. Too many Christians live in chapters 1–3 and study the doctrines but fail to move into chapters 4–6 and practice the duties. Wiersbe, W. W. (1992). Wiersbe’s expository outlines on the New Testament (p. 535). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.When we identify ourselves, we identify ourselves in Christ. Our outlook on life needs to be viewed from the lens of our position in Christ! How is your vision?Read Ephesians 2:4-7 (seated with Christ)What do you think it means to be seated in Heavenly places in Christ?It is a spiritual picture..heres how!Read Romans 6:4-11 (United in death and resurrection)When we die with Christ, it is a picture of sin’s rule being broken, and we are no longer enslaved to it. That doesn’t mean that we don’t sin, but rather that the rule of sin has been defeated for us.Our normal pattern of life should now be progressive growth (sanctification) and conformity to God’s moral law in thought and action.Spiritual Blessings (v. 3)These spiritual blessings are what Paul goes on to explain in the rest of the chapterThese blessings are what we are going to expound uponChosen us (vs 4) Adoption as children (vs 5)Accepted in Christ (vs 6)Redemption through His blood (vs 7)Forgiveness of sin (vs 7)Revelation of the mystery of His will (vs 9) A spiritual inheritance (vs 11) Sealing of the Holy Spirit (vs 13)But these blessings are more than just spiritual!…this is to be conceived, not chiefly in terms of the material gifts of which we think most readily, but in terms of the spiritual that transcend but include the material, for the true appreciation of the things we see is dependent on our enjoyment of the things of the Spirit.

Chosen Us (vs 4)

We were chosen in Him to walk in holiness without blame before God, even before the universe was created2 Tim. 1:9

​English Standard Version Chapter 19 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,

The fact that we are walking in Christ means that we are fulfilling the very purpose of God! What is my purpose? (ever asked that question)We can’t boast in anything in and of ourselves....it has absolutely nothing to do with you righteousness or lack thereof!We can also be fully confident in the fact that the foundation of Christ in our life was started by God himself, it was God initiated!Holiness here expresses moral purity. We have been called and purposed to live a holy life. Not only called, but through Christ we are equipped.The word used for holiness here is a reference to those who are set apart or who belong to God, not necessarily to moral perfection.This is the exact same word that is used in verse when when Paul mentions the “saints” at Ephesus.Do we as Christians still sin?So how can we be called holy?State - Our current state is that we still struggle with sin, but there should be a progressive growth in morality.Standing - But when God looks at us, he sees us through the filter/lens of Christ, so our standing before him is that we are holy.Blameless expresses freedom from the guilt of trespasses and sins in which you have formerly walked.Last week we talked about condemnation, and how the Christian doesn’t stand condemned. What does it mean to walk in your own strength? Are we to throw up our hands and let God deliver us? Was Corrie Ten Boom operating in her own strength when she lied to the Germans about hiding Jews? Was Abraham operating in his own strength when he lied about Sarah being his wife? Which was worse? Corrie told a blatant lie, and Abraham told a half truth, yet one was done in faith, and the other in fear and unbelief!Walking in your own strength has more to do with a mentality than it does an action. Ephesians 1-3 talks about all the riches/revelations/grace that we have when we are in Christ Jesus, and then chapters 4-6 talk about "doing." We are told to put off the old man and to put on the new man. We are told to put on the full armor of God so that we can withstand the wiles of the enemy.So walking in dependence upon God does not mean inaction on our part. It means that all the action that we take is rooted in faith and a belief that God's grace will sustain us and keep us.The moment that you set yourself up for failure in your mind, or that you believe or convince yourself that you are going to fail, is the moment that you start walking in your own strength. Because you have believed the lie that God's grace isn't big enough, or that you are not found in Christ....whatever the case may be. As soon as faith is replaced with fear and unbelief, that is the moment that you start walking in your own strength.But just because you walk in your own strength though doesn't mean that you will fail. People have victories doing things in their own strength, without faith, but it is not pleasing to God. Walking in strength has everything to do with faith and trust in what God has said. It is not as cut and dry in action as we would like to think sometimes. That is why Paul spends the first half of Ephesians talking about the incredible things that we have in Christ. It is only in that light and with that understanding that we are able to walk and "do" (as we were commanded in the last half of Ephesians) in the strength of the Holy Spirit.